This invention relates to a circuit module for interconnection with a circuit board or substrate and, in particular, to a circuit module adapted for interconnection by any one of a number of prevalent approaches for interconnection. The circuit module can comprise an IC package, a circuit board or a substrate.
As electronic circuits become denser, faster and increasingly complex, interconnections between them are subject to more demanding requirements. With the great increase in the density of active components, interconnection devices become large consumers of available volume. And increased density brings an increase in required currents and power dissipation, aggravating thermal mismatch between connected circuit devices. In addition, higher circuit device speeds place stricter constraints on tolerable interconnect inductance.
These rapidly changing requirements have produced a variety of approaches for connecting a circuit module with a circuit board. In one approach, known as PTH interconnect, the circuit module is provided with a plurality of connection pins and the circuit board has a corresponding pattern of plated through holes (hence the acronym xe2x80x9cPTHxe2x80x9d) for receiving the pins. The pins are inserted into the holes and soldered to the board. Typically the pins extend through the board and are soldered on the back side.
In a second approach, called surface mount interconnection, the circuit module is provided with bent interconnection leads (xe2x80x9cgull wingsxe2x80x9d bending away from the module or xe2x80x9cJ-leadsxe2x80x9d bending toward the module). The circuit board surface has a pattern of bonding pads for receiving the bent leads, and the leads are soldered in place on the surface.
A third approach is referred to as socket connection. As in PTH interconnection, the circuit module has connection pins. But rather than through holes, the board is connected with a modular unit containing conductive receiving holes (xe2x80x9csocketsxe2x80x9d) for the pins.
Different system fabricators use different ones of these interconnection schemes for the same modular circuits. Consequently a module fabricator may have to provide the same circuit in multiple different modules. Accordingly, there is a need for a circuit module having universal connectivity using the dominant circuit board connection schemes.
In accordance with the invention, a circuit module is provided with a plurality of dual capacity connector pads, each pad holding a miniature surface mount connector and/or a connection pin. The preferred I-channel surface mount connector is sufficiently small that the module can be connected by either surface mount or pin to the same region of the circuit board.